Ronald Speer

A Celebration of Life for Ronald (Ronnie, Ron) Max Speer, of Enid, will be Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at FBC Enid with Pastor Jonathan Gilliland officiating. Services and cremation arrangements are under the direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home and Crematory.

 Ron was born in Enid, Oklahoma, on November 14, 1947, to Lawrence Wayne and Bonita May (Barby) Speer, and passed away surrounded by family on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at Baptist Village in Enid after a short illness. Ron grew up on a farm in Balko, Oklahoma, with his 3 ornery sisters Saundra, Margaret, and Pam. He was saved at Camp Gibson at Balko the summer of his 4th grade year. The family then moved to Beaver where he attended junior high and graduated high school in 1965 where he was active in football and FFA. He worked at the Shamrock filling station for his soon-to-be father-in-law. Ron married his high school sweetheart, Christel Bryan on August 25, 1965 in Guymon OK. They settled in Guymon so dad could start college at Panhandle State. During this time, their first two kids came along Kevin (1966) Michelle (1967) and dad worked 4 jobs while going to school full time. He went on to finish Magna Cum Laude with honors from Oklahoma Panhandle State- what an accomplishment!

At this time, they moved to Borger Texas (1972) where dad worked for Phillips Petroleum and helped start the computer department. Mom and dad moved back to Guymon in 1976 with the opportunity for his own custom hay hauling business and to be an accountant. By 1978 they started the Abstract Company in Beaver OK, thus beginning their lives in Beaver County! His uncle Paul Barby worked tirelessly with dad and 38 employees for 9 months to set up the abstract company. Dad was forever grateful for this time with his uncle Paul.

They bought a farm 7 miles south of Beaver that they called home over the next 34 years. Bonnie came along (surprise) in 1982 on the farm. Dad was active in everything ----the JC’s Club, Rotary Club, the “Morning coffee crew at the B & J store”, headed a charity trust for children in Beaver County, Cowchip Celebration Chairman for 3 years, Board of Directors and youngest President elected (1 year) for Oklahoma Land & Title Association and an active member of FBC Beaver, where they met lifelong friends. At home on the farm, he raised cattle; Herefords, Limousine and then finally his favorite - Red Angus. He was a part of the State Red Angus Breeding Association for many years and made the cover of the Oklahoma Red Angus Association magazine. Mom and dad had sheep, llamas, miniature donkeys, a mini goat, horses and dad had the very first hog farmer finisher program for DeKalb farms. He farmed at Balko for awhile on family land, but later just ran his cattle on the farm and ran the hog farm with good partners throughout the years. He also started a hay hauling business during the drought years of the early 2000’s to help all his fellow famers in the panhandle. Dad was always active in his kids lives and in the stock show scene through FFA and 4-H. Showing cattle and sheep was a highlight and he spent many nights with us kids in the barn getting ready for shows. We will always cherish all those memories.

Dad had a great time at the Barby family reunions on the ranch and the Speer family Christmas’s with his sisters and families or anytime we could all get together. He ran the Abstract Office until they sold it in 2013 and moved to Enid OK where they retired from all their businesses including selling his cattle and the family farm. This was a hard transition, but they settled well in Enid and made fast friends through their new home church at FBC Enid and car clubs as well as grandkids events.

Dad will be missed dearly by everyone that knew him and his orneriness. Some of our fondest memories of dad would be his Elvis impersonation at the County Fair, helping his son work on his racecar and going to the races, the Cowchip parades, water skiing and tent camping at Fort Supply and snow skiing at Angel Fire, taking us sledding with the fourwheeler, piling in all the grandkids in the tractor bucket, selling cattle from his Red Angus business, going to the cabin in New Mexico for the summer and taking grandkids and family and friends to go see elk in the jeep. He also really cherished his time in the mountains with his family and his church home at Eagles Nest Baptist Church.

 Ron is preceded in death by his parents LW and Bonita (Barby) Speer, Charles, and Mamie Speer (Paternal grandparents), Margaret and Lloyd Barby and Celestine Barby (Maternal grandparents), Paul Barby (Uncle) and many more family and friends. 

He is survived by his wife of 59 years Christel Speer, his loving sisters- Saundra Mills, Margaret and Charlie McLarty, Pam and Dave Bryce, and all their families. His children Kevin Speer and fiancé Misti Hill, Michelle and Patrick Neville and Bonnie and Marc Espinoza. His 14 grandchildren- Kaitlin Speer, Allison Speer, Nathan Speer, Christin and Michael Juliano, Lauren Neville and Levy Hinojosa, Morgan and Skylar Borsman, Olivia and Addison Duncan, Noel, Daniel, Josiah, Emeline, and Brenna Neville, Elijah, and Noah Espinoza; as well as seven great grandchildren- Liam and Mia Juliano, Greer and Leonidas Borsman, Koa and Misha Neville-Hinojosa, and Barrett Duncan.

 Memorial donations in Ron’s name may be made to the National Kidney Foundation or Cystic Fibrosis Foundation with Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home serving as custodian of the funds.

 Condolences may be made, memories shared, and services viewed online at ladusauevans.com.